Source: Pocketnow
2022 is just days away now, and so is the Samsung Galaxy S22. Leakers and tipsters have suggested that Samsung is all set to take wraps off the Samsung Galaxy S22 series in February 2022. And thanks to a flurry of leaks and rumors over the past couple of months, we have got a pretty good idea of what Samsung is cooking for flagship Android phone buyers next year. If you’re considering buying the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S22 series, or are interested in it generally, look no further. Here is a rumor roundup of the Samsung Galaxy S22 combining all the leaks and rumors we have heard so far.
When will Samsung launch the Galaxy S22 series?
Even though the production and supply chain fiasco has affected the Galaxy S21 FE’s launch, it seems that Samsung is on track to launch the S22 in February 2022. According to the leak by Jon Prosser, Samsung will host two Galaxy Unpacked events in the January-February window next year. The first event, according to the leak, will be held on January 3, 2022. At this event, Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S21 FE device.
The second event, Jon Prosser believes, will be hosted on February 8, 2022, at 10:00 AM ET. This event will be focused on announcing the Galaxy S22 series (and maybe, even the Galaxy Tab S8 series). Prosser says that pre-orders for the S22 series will go live a day after the February Unpacked event, i.e., on 9th February. However, the device isn’t expected to be available in the market until 25th February 2022. Prosser says that Samsung is facing “pretty significant” supply chain issues with the S22 series which could see Samsung delaying the release by a week. Though despite the supply chain issues, Samsung is expected to announce the S22 series in February next year.
S22 Ultra? Note? Pro? What will be the naming scheme of the Galaxy S22 smartphones?
Samsung didn’t announce a new Galaxy Note series this year. You may call it an effect of supply chain issues or slow R&D due to COVID-19, but now launching an entirely new series of smartphones whose special capability is the support for S Pen (more or less) doesn’t make sense. The company has added the ability to support S Pen on its other flagships this year, like the S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. But Samsung isn’t letting the idea of the Galaxy Note series die — at least what the rumors say. Instead, the company is said to be adding an S Pen slot to the Ultra (or the highest-end) S22 model.
With Samsung not launching a new Note smartphone, and adding an S Pen slot to the highest-end S22 model, it was speculated that Samsung will rename its smartphone series to reflect the changes it is making. Initially, it was speculated that Samsung will call the 2022 S series smartphones: S22, S22 Pro, and Note 22 Ultra. Later a report deemed this rumor false and instead suggested that Samsung is still going with the S22 Ultra name. Now, there are rumors that Samsung will call the highest-end smartphone S22 Note. However, we’ll still take it with a pinch of salt. We believe that Samsung is going to stick with the same naming scheme, and the S22 series is going to be called:
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Display and Design
Samsung Galaxy S22 is expected to keep a similar design as the S21 series. The recently leaked hands-on video with the S22 dummy models has suggested that the vertical camera bar is here to stay. The device seems a little more rounded than before, and the back panel appears to have a glossy finish instead of the matte one. Other than that, the devices, at least the standard S22 and the Plus variant, look nearly identical to the last year’s S flagship.
S22 Ultra, on the other hand, will host a different design than the standard and the Plus model. This phone is tipped to look similar to a Galaxy Note smartphone which isn’t rounded off like the other models but is a bit more rectangular. Even though the back of the S22 Ultra looks matte, like the other models, leaker Ice Universe has suggested that all the Galaxy S22 models (standard, Plus, and Ultra) will have a glass back. So the matte finish we’re seeing in the image seems to be made of glass, and not metal. The camera module also doesn’t protrude on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Instead, the different camera lenses are scattered like little islands (which some call “P” design) that come out of their housing. As mentioned above, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is also said to come with an S Pen which will rest in a dedicated slot.
Source: GSMArena
The display is one of the strongest parts of Samsung’s “S” series lineup. These smartphones feature some of the best displays in the whole smartphone world. Now that OnePlus has announced that its next flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 10 Pro will come with the LTPO 2.0 display (which will indeed be provided by Samsung), we expect the Samsung Galaxy S22 to come with the same advanced display tech as well.
On the dimensions side of the things, Samsung Galaxy S22 is expected to host a 6.08-inch flat AMOLED screen. It will have a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and support up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The S22 Plus model is expected to host a bigger 6.55-inch flat AMOLED display but with the same resolution and refresh rate capability as the base model. The S22 Ultra model is said to feature a bigger 6.8-inch curved AMOLED display. It is tipped to have a resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels and boasts a peak brightness of 1500 nits. Screens of all the models are expected to be HDR 10+ certified.
Samsung Galaxy S22: Specs
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Display
6.06-inch, 1080 x 2400, AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
6.55-inch, 1080 x 2400, AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
6.8-inch,1440 x 3200, AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
Processor
Exynos 2200 (with AMD GPU) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1
Exynos 2200 (with AMD GPU) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1
Exynos 2200 (with AMD GPU) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1
Back Cameras
50MP (main wide) + 10MP (telephoto) + 12MP (ultrawide)
50MP (main wide) + 10MP (telephoto) + 12MP (ultrawide)
108 MP (main wide) + 10 MP (periscope telephoto) + 10MP (telephoto) + 12MP (ultrawide)
Front Camera
10MP
10MP
40MP
Battery
4,000 mAh
4,800 mAh
5,000 mAh
Charging Speed
15W
15W
15W
Storage and Memory
8GB RAM + 128/256GB, 12GB RAM + 256GB
8GB RAM + 128/256GB, 12GB RAM + 256GB
12GB RAM + 128/256/512GB, 16GB RAM + 512GB
Colors
Pink Gold (Rose gold), Green, Black, and White
Pink Gold (Rose gold), Green, Black, and White
Black, White, Dark Red, Green
Operating System
One UI 4 based on Android 12
One UI 4 based on Android 12
One UI 4 based on Android 12
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G, 4G, USB-C 3.2
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G, 4G, USB-C 3.2
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G, 4G, USB-C 3.2
Exynos 2200
Source: Samsung Exynos
Samsung Galaxy S22 series will be powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset in the United States and South Korea. But outside these territories, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series is expected to be powered by the Exynos 2200 chipset. However, some leaks say Samsung will ship the Qualcomm variant in Europe as well. The Exynos 2200 chipset is said to be based on the same 4nm node architecture that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1 is based on. It will also be based on the ARM v9 architecture and will have one Cortex-X2 core, three Cortex-A710, and four Cortex-A510. The chipset is said to be 20% faster than its predecessor and 30% more power-efficient at the same time.
But the CPU side of things isn’t what’s most interesting about the Exynos 2200 chipset, it’s the GPU. Samsung accidentally announced its partnership with AMD for the GPU of the Exynos 2200. The S22 series’ Exynos 2200 is expected to have a GPU that is based on AMD’s rDNA 2 architecture. This GPU will reportedly enable ray tracing support on the S22 series. Coupled with the new LPDDR5X DRAM, the S22 series might be one of the fastest smartphones of 2022.
Cameras
Samsung Galaxy S21 had one of the best camera systems in the smartphone world. Building further on it, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series is also expected to host one of the best smartphone cameras of 2022. The Samsung S22 series is expected to come with a 50MP main sensor, which will most likely be the GN2 sensor Samsung announced a while back. Other than that, the S22 and the S22 Plus are expected to have a 12MP ultrawide shooter and a 12MP telephoto sensor.
Meanwhile, the camera system of the S22 Ultra is said to be a lot different than the other two models. It will contain the 108MP main sensor, two 12MP telephoto sensors (up from 10MP on the S21 Ultra), and another 12MP ultra-wide camera. Leaks have suggested that the S22 Ultra will gain optical image stabilization (OIS) on the ultra-wide lens. In addition, the S22 Ultra is also said to come with a “detail enhancer” button in the camera app that will which could provide better photos using multi-frame processing and, maybe, allow detailed macro shots.
Price, Colors, and Availability
Samsung Galaxy S22 is expected to come with a similar price tag as the S21 series. Leaks have suggested that the base model of the Samsung Galaxy S22 would arrive with an $800 price tag in the United States, with S22 Plus costing $1,049 and the Galaxy S22 Ultra costing $1,299. The S21 Ultra launched at a price of $1,199 in the United States, but with more features like S Pen, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to come at a higher price tag of $1,300.
As mentioned above, leaks have suggested that Samsung will announce the smartphone series on February 8 and the devices will be available in retail later that month, i.e., on 25th February. Rumors suggest that the S22 and the S22 Plus will be available in four colors: Pink Gold (Rose gold), Green, Black, and White, whereas the S22 Ultra will be available in three colors: Dark Red, Black, and White. Samsung will also launch a number of official cases and covers alongside the S22 series. These cases and covers will include Clear Covers, Clear Standing Covers, Frame Covers, Leather Covers, and more. Over 65 cases and covers for the S22 series have already leaked online.
Samsung Galaxy S22: What we want to see
Here’s what we expect from the Samsung Galaxy S22 series:
Resolved Heating Issues: One of the issues plaguing the S21 series was the heating issues with the device, especially the Exynos 2100 variant. The phone was criticized by a lot of YouTubers and reviewers that the phone ran hot even on normal usage. With Samsung launching the smartphone with the improved Exynos 2100/Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset, we hope the company fixes the heating issue with it.
No plastic back: Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 for $799 in the United States. Even at this steep price, Samsung did not ship the smartphone with a glass back. Instead, Samsung settled for a ‘glasstic’ — which was essentially a mix of glass and plastic but felt like polycarbonate — back. Although it has been rumored, but we hope Samsung ships glass back on all the models of the Galaxy S22 series.
An overall better flagship competitor: Although the Galaxy S21 comes with high-end specs and top-notch materials, Samsung somehow lost the ground to other flagship smartphones in 2021. With S22, we hope Samsung ships a product that is able to give tough competition to its Apple, OnePlus, and Google counterparts.
Better pricing: At $799, Samsung Galaxy S21 felt a bit overpriced. With other competitors like Google releasing their flagship smartphone for only $600, we hope Samsung reasonably prices its upcoming flagship series.
What are your expectations from the Samsung Galaxy S22 series? Are you looking to purchase any S22 series device next year? Let us know in the comments section below!